Grade Levels: 9-12

Time Allotment: Two to three 45-minute class periods

Overview:

In this lesson, students will use selected segments from the PBS series The Human Spark to explore how the capacity for language develops in the human brain, and about how that capacity distinguishes us from other animals.

The Introductory Activity first asks students to brainstorm what distinguishes humans from other primates, and then presents a video clip in which psycholinguist Stephen Pinker suggests that language is one of three unique human qualities. The Learning Activities further explores the development of language in children, the possible origins of words, the function and nature of grammar, and the interconnected anatomy of the brain’s “language loop.” For the Culminating Activity, students will write a short essay summarizing what they’ve learned and positing an unanswered question as a jumping-off point for further research.

This lesson is best used as an introduction to linguistics or psychology, or as a supplement to a biology unit on the anatomy of the brain

Subject Matter: Psychology, Biology, Linguistics, Evolution

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Describe several ways in which humans are unique among species
• Outline the sequence of language developmental in children
• Suggest theories for the origins of language
• Explain how tool use and language capacity may be linked in the brain
• Name the parts of the brain involved in language, describing their specific function and relative location in the brain’s anatomy

Standards:

From the National Science Education Standards

Content Standard: 9-12

SCIENCE AS INQUIRY

Content Standard A: As a result of activities in grades 9–12, all students should develop:

UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY

• Scientists usually inquire about how physical, living, or designed systems function. Conceptual principles and knowledge guide scientific inquiries. Historical and current scientific knowledge influence the design and interpretation of investigations and the evaluation of proposed explanations made by other scientists.
• Scientists conduct investigations for a wide variety of reasons. For example, they may wish to discover new aspects of the natural world, explain recently observed phenomena, or test the conclusions of prior investigations or the predictions of current theories.
• Scientists rely on technology to enhance the gathering and manipulation of data. New techniques and tools provide new evidence to guide inquiry and new methods to gather data, thereby contributing to the advance of science. The accuracy and precision of the data, and therefore the quality of the exploration, depends on the technology used.
• Results of scientific inquiry—new knowledge and methods—emerge from different types of investigations and public communication among scientists. In communicating and defending the results of scientific inquiry, arguments must be logical and demonstrate connections between natural phenomena, investigations, and the historical body of scientific knowledge. In addition, the methods and procedures that scientists used to obtain evidence must be clearly reported to enhance opportunities for further investigation.

Media Resources:

Video:

Clip 1: “Dr. Steven Pinker: Language Makes Us Human”

In this outtake from The Human Spark, Psycholinguist Stephen Pinker discusses the three things he believes makes us distinctly, uniquely human: language, cooperation, and technological “know how.”

Clip 2:  “The Language Spark”

An excerpt from episode 3 of The Human Spark, Episode Three: “Brain Matters” exploring the human brain’s unique capacity for complex language.

Websites:

“Language on the Brain”

A video exploring how the brain processes language,  produced by the American Museum of Natural History for its exhibit “Brain: The Inside Story.”

“The Language Loop”

An educational website from McGill University in Montreal exploring how specific parts of the brain process different aspects on language comprehension and production.

Materials:

For the teacher:

• A computer with internet access connected to a projector and speakers for classroom use.
• “The Sound of Language” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)
• “The Language Loop” Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

For each of five group of students:

• A computer with internet access.

For each student:

• “The Sound of Language” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)
• “The Language Loop” Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

Prep for Teachers:

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments and websites used in the lesson.

Download the video segments used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s internet connection.

Bookmark the website used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as delicious.com or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to organize all the links in a central location.

Proceed to Lesson Activities.

Grade Levels: 9-12

Time Allotment: Two to three 45-minute class periods

Overview: In this lesson, students will use selected segments from the PBS series The Human Spark to investigate the differences and similarities between the respective social dynamics of humans and our closest primate relatives and what they may tell us about what—if anything—may make us uniquely human.

In the Introductory Activity, students are asked to brainstorm what the basic building blocks of human society are, and asked to consider whether any of these are indeed unique to humans, or if they may also be found in the animal world. In the Learning Activity, they will watch a series of excerpted clips from The Human Spark comparing and contrasting the social and individual behavioral tendencies of humans and primates along three main themes: altruism/helping/cooperation, laws/rules/power/politics, and learning/teaching. In the Culminating Activity, students will divide into groups to compare the observations they have made throughout the lesson on their student organizers and make brief presentations to the rest of the class.

This lesson is best used as an introduction to (or supplement to) a unit on anthropology or sociology.

Subject Matter: Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Evolutionary Biology

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Outline the essential elements of human society
• Describe the basic dynamics of chimpanzee society
• Define a relationship in anthropological terms
• Provide experimental examples of an innate human tendency to cooperate
• Compare and contrast the learning and teaching behavior of humans and primates
• Explain why the extent of our ability to cooperate may constitute a “human spark” distinguishing us from animals

Learning Standards

(From the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies available at www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands)

Chapter 2—The Themes of Social Studies

1. CULTURE

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.

Human beings create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. The study of culture examines the socially transmitted beliefs, values, institutions, behaviors, traditions and way of life of a group of people; it also encompasses other cultural attributes and products, such as language, literature, music, arts and artifacts, and foods. Students come to understand that human cultures exhibit both similarities and differences, and they learn to see themselves both as individuals and as members of a particular culture that shares similarities with other cultural groups, but is also distinctive. In a multicultural, democratic society and globally connected world, students need to understand the multiple perspectives that derive from different cultural vantage points.

4. INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of individual development and identity.

Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, by institutional influences, and by lived experiences shared with people inside and outside the individual’s own culture throughout her or his development. Given the nature of individual development in a social and cultural context, students need to be aware of the processes of learning, growth, and interaction at every level of their own school experiences. The examination of various forms of human behavior enhances an understanding of the relationships between social norms and emerging personal identities, the social processes that influence identity formation, and the ethical principles underlying individual action.

5. INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND INSTITUTIONS

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions.

Institutions are the formal and informal political, economic, and social organizations that help us carry out, organize, and manage our daily affairs. Schools, religious institutions, families, government agencies, and the courts all play an integral role in our lives. They are organizational embodiments of the core social values of those who comprise them, and play a variety of important roles in socializing individuals and meeting their needs, as well as in the promotion of societal continuity, the mediation of conflict, and the consideration of public issues.

Media Components:

Video:

Selected segments of The Human Spark: So Human, So Chimp

Chimp Politics

Host Alan Alda and scientist Franz de Waal observe and compare two alpha-male chimpanzees’ different approaches to sharing at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta.

Social Networks and the Spark

Oxford University’s Alan Dunbar compares human social networks  to those of chimps;  at Yale University, host Alan Alda observes how babies as young as three months old favor cooperative puppets over those that won’t play.

How We Learn

Host Alan Alda observes experiments at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology which demonstrate how differently human children and orangutans learn how to complete tasks.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

At the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. Vicki Horner explains the ways chimps “passively tolerate” learning as opposed the “active” engagement of human teaching.

Cooperation Over Competition

Scientists discuss what may be the uniquely “human spark” which separates us from animals: our ability to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with others.

Materials:

For the teacher:

1 projected computer with internet access

Social Skills Student Organizer Answer Key (PDF) (RTF)

For each of three groups of students:

1 computer with internet access

For each student:

Social Skills  Student Organizer (PDF) (RTF)

Prep for Teachers:

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Preview all of the video segments used in the lesson.

Download the video segments used in the lesson to your classroom computer, or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s internet connection.

Print/copy the Social Skills Student Organizer for each student.

Proceed to Lesson Activities.

Grade Levels: 9-12

Time Allotment: Two 45-minute class periods

Overview: In this lesson, students learn about the changes that occur in children as they grow. In the Introductory Activity, students brainstorm and use online resources to explore the stages of development children go through from birth to age five. In the Learning Activity, students explore video segments from the PBS program The Human Spark to learn about brain growth, language development and how children’s views of right and wrong can be shaped by others. In the Culminating Activity, students reflect upon their own process of development and how they acquired their skills and knowledge.

Subject Matter: Science; Psychology; Child Development

Learning Objectives:

Students will be able to:

• Describe important child development milestones from birth to age five.
• Discuss the developing human brain.
• Describe how the development of humans compares to that of animals and discuss the role of language in children’s development.
• Explain how authority figures can influence children’s perceptions of right and wrong.
• Discuss what has shaped their own skills and knowledge.

Standards:

National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula

Standard Area IIIA: Lifespan Development
Content Standards
After concluding this unit, students understand:

• CONTENT STANDARD IIIA-1: Development as a lifelong process
  Students are able to (performance standards):
  • IIIA-1.1 Describe physical, social, and cognitive changes from the prenatal period throughout the lifespan. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators): a. Illustrating developmental changes in physical, cognitive, and social development
    b.  Describing research on child development; c.  Hypothesizing on the interaction of physical, cognitive, and/or social changes in behavior; d. Inferring how peer relationships change over time; e.  Describing similarities and differences in development across cultures; f.  Discussing the relative importance of peers’ versus parents’ influence in different cultural groups; g.  Examining the role of psychology in enhancing the life of older adults.
  • o IIIA-1.3 Identify the complex cognitive structures found in the early development of infants and young children. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators): a.  Citing research on the capabilities of infants and young children; b.  Comparing contemporary research on early views of infant capabilities with current understanding; c.  Discussing the role of the caregiver in promoting child development; d.  Explaining how cultural practices in child-rearing may influence cognitive development.
  • IIIA-1.4 Apply lifespan principles to personal experience. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators): a. Comparing their own life experiences with general patterns of others from their generation; b.  Predicting their own developmental changes over time; c.  Describing transition from childhood to adolescence; d.  Explaining the transition from adolescence to adulthood; e.  Projecting themselves into late life adulthood (i.e., post 65)
• CONTENT STANDARD IIIA-4: Issues surrounding the developmental process (nature/nurture, continuity/discontinuity, stability/instability, critical periods)
  Students are able to (performance standards):
  • IIIA-4.1 Describe the role of critical periods in development. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators): a. Giving an example of a critical period in development; b. Evaluating significance of critical periods in development; c. Explaining difficulties of research in the area of critical periods; d. Linking cortical development to enriched environments during critical periods.
  • IIIA-4.2 Explain the issues of continuity/discontinuity and stability/instability in development. Students may indicate this by (performance indicators): a. Giving an example to illustrate continuity or discontinuity in development; b.  Citing research concerning stability or instability of traits over time;

New York State Standards:

Learning Standards for Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences

Students will know the basic principles of home and community safety. They can demonstrate the skills necessary to maintain their homes and workplaces in a safe and comfortable condition. They can provide a safe and nurturing environment for themselves and others.

• Students understand the stages of child development and apply this knowledge to activities designed to enrich the physical, social, mental, and emotional development of a young child. This is evident, for example, when students: plan a daily program of balanced activity for preschoolers based on knowledge and understanding of patterns of child growth and development; describe effective ways of promoting positive behavior in children; identify characteristics of a safe and nurturing home and work environment.

Media Resources

The Human Spark, selected segments

• The Developing Brain
  A look at how the human brain develops throughout a person’s life.

• Language Development
  An overview of how human language develops.

• Learning Right and Wrong
  A look at how a child’s views of what is right and wrong can be shaped by others.

Websites:

• Child Development and Parenting This section of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities Website provides information about child development, including the following:

• The Milestones Quiz This interactive quiz highlights developmental milestones.
• Developmental Milestones This section has fact sheets about developmental milestones from birth through age five.
• Milestones Chart This interactive chart provides details about developmental milestones through age five.

• Development Timeline This site features a child development timeline, which students can use in the Introductory Activity.

Materials

For the class:

• Computers with internet access
• Computer, projection screen and speakers (for class viewing of online/downloaded video segments)
• “Child Development Milestones” handout. Optional. (See “Before the Lesson” for details.)
• Printouts of the following “Important Milestones” fact sheets from the CDC website.
  (Note: Print out enough copies so that each group of 2-3 students has one of the seven fact sheets. If possible, when conducting this lesson’s Introductory Activity, divide the class into at least seven groups before assigning these fact sheets so that each of the fact sheets can be distributed to at least one group. For example, at least one group should receive the “end of 3 months” fact sheet, at least one should receive the “end of 7 months” fact sheet, etc. It is fine if more than one group gets the same fact sheet. Instead of making printouts, you can have students access the information directly on the Web.)

Important Milestones Fact Sheets from www.cdc.gov:

• Important Milestones by the End of 3 Months

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/3MonthMilestonesFactShe.pdf

• Important Milestones by the end of 7 Months

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/7Month.pdf

• Important Milestones by the end of 1 Year (12 Months)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/12MonthMilestonesFactSh.pdf

• Important Milestones by the End of 2 Years (24 Months)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/24MonthMilestonesFactSh.pdf

• Important Milestones by the End of 3 Years (36 months)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/3Year.pdf

• Important Milestones by the End of 4 Years (48 months)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/4Year.pdf

• Important Milestones by the End of 5 Years (60 months)

www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/5Year.pdf

Before the Lesson

Prior to teaching this lesson, you will need to:

Optional: Print out the “Child Development Milestones” handout and cut out each item along the dashed lines. Make enough copies so that each pair of students has at least one item on the sheet. (There are 33 items on the sheet.) This handout can be used in the Introductory Activity.

Print out the “Important Milestones” fact sheets from the CDC website. (See the Materials section for details.) Print out enough so that each group of 2-3 students has one fact sheet. Note: Instead of printing out the sheets, you can have students access this information on the Web.

Create a timeline in the classroom with the following points marked off:

Leave enough space between each of the points on the timeline, so that students can affix their “Child Development Milestones” strips of paper in the appropriate spots.

Preview all of the video segments and websites used in the lesson.

Download the video clips used in the lesson to your classroom computer(s) or prepare to watch them using your classroom’s Internet connection.

Bookmark all websites which you plan to use in the lesson on each computer in your classroom. Using a social bookmarking tool such as delicious or diigo (or an online bookmarking utility such as portaportal) will allow you to save the links in one location.

Proceed to Lesson Activities.

The Human Spark, Brain Matters

“Dr. Steven Pinker: Language Makes Us Human” (Please note this link will open a new page or tab and take you to a separate location on the Human Spark website.  This clip is NOT downloadable.)

In this outtake from The Human Spark, Psycholinguist Stephen Pinker discusses the three things he believes makes us distinctly, uniquely human: language, cooperation, and technological “know how.”

The Language Spark

An excerpt from The Human Spark exploring the human brain’s unique capacity for language.

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

The Language Spark

The Human Spark, selected segments

The Developing Brain
A look at how the human brain develops throughout a person’s life.

Learning Right and Wrong
A look at how a child’s views of what is right and wrong can be shaped by others.

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

The Developing Brain

Language Development

Learning Right and Wrong

Chimp Politics

Host Alan Alda and scientist Franz de Waal observe and compare two alpha-male chimpanzees’ different approaches to sharing at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta

Social Networks and the Spark (Click on link to stream video– this clip is streaming only.)

Oxford University’s Alan Dunbar compares human social networks  to those of chimps;  at Yale University, host Alan Alda observes how babies as young as three months old favor cooperative puppets over those that won’t play

How We Learn

Host Alan Alda observes experiments at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology which demonstrate how differently human children orangutans learn how to complete tasks.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

At the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. Vicki Horner explains the ways chimps “passively tolerate” learning as opposed the “active” engagement of human teaching.

Cooperation Over Competition

Scientists discuss what may be the uniquely “human spark” which separates us from animals: our ability to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate with others.

Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)

Chimp Politics

Social Networks and the Spark (Click on link to stream video– this clip is streaming only.)

How We Learn

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Cooperation Over Competition

Can you think of examples of “we-ness” that you experience throughout a normal day?

When you see “evolution” and “religion” in the same headline, certain assumptions about the following article might jump to mind. But this recent study published in Science sets aside the religious critique of evolution and examines how religion itself may be a part of human evolution.

Remember that evolution’s driving force is each individual’s biological urge to pass on his or her own genes. Life is a competitive enterprise wherein everyone strives to be the most successful breeder around. So some scientists have wondered: why do we find altruism and cooperation in human populations? Looking at the question from a purely evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense to help those who share your genes, but what about others in society you have nothing in common with, let alone a family link? They’re the competition! Psychologists Ara Norenzayan and Azim Shariff suggest that religion might be one explanation for why altruism persists in large social groups.

In The Human Spark, we focus a lot on the sociality of human beings, especially in comparison to our predecessors. Take a look at these articles to learn a bit more about how a cultural process such as religion can interact with evolution.

• “Religion Makes People Helpful and Generous — Under Certain Conditions” – ScienceDaily
• “Opiate of the masses — and evolutionary aid” – The Toronto Star
• “Religious folks behave better — with a catch” – The Vancouver Sun